WICEN NSW, is a communications support squad of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.

Due to COVID-19 WICEN is limiting operations, and has moved meetings to its amateur and non-amateur radio resources.

The HCC Committee is continuing preparations for the 2020 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic on October 24th and 25th, following "Return to Sport" rules. Importantly, the event supports "Arrow, The Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation". See: http://www.arrow.org.au

The Volunteer Memorial Day 2020 is being held at Mrs Macquarie's Chair in the Domain, Sydney, at 11:00 on Sunday, October 11th.

By request, at 0900 on Sunday July 19th there will be a repeat of the videoconference session held on May 6th, covering access to SAP, and access to training documents on G drive for both WICEN and the VRA.

WICEN has commenced a weekly net, each Sunday evening. The main net is at 1800, and a secondary check-in net at 1830. On the 1st, 4th and 5th Sundays the main net will be on the Chatswood 2m repeater at 1800, followed by the (non-Amateur) Kurrajong VHF High-band repeater -R52 TAC 7 using Time Slot 1, at 1830. On 2nd and 3rd Sundays (including tonight) the Kurrajong - Berowra 70 cm FM system will be used, followed by a net on the DMARC Talkgroup 3810, also Timeslot 1, at 1830.

Members are also encouraged to take advantage of the free courses offered by the Office of Emergency Management, at: https://www.emtraining.nsw.gov.au/

To borrow Onno's "What use is an F-call?", there are a range of administrative and logistical tasks which need doing in an organisation such as WICEN, and which can be completed by those of any licence grade, or without.

For Facebook users, there is an official WICEN NSW page; and an informal national WICEN group.

WICEN ACT is part of the Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club. The club is moving all events, including its enthralling lectures, online or on-air. The group has recommenced support of events, via the provision of equipment and advice. The next event is the BMSC "Narooma Rally" on August 1st, followed by the LCCC "Blue Range Rallysprint" on September 5th. ANU's Interhall "Inward Bound", and the ACTERA Brookvale Horse Enduro are both the second weekend in October. For more info visit the group's website via the new address: http://www.crarc.org.au or the CRARC Facebook page.

WICEN Victoria - The weekly net is on each Tuesday at 8:30 pm, on 3.6 MHz. Their first event back is expected to be the Sunraysia Rally, in the Mildura and Wentworth area, on October 17th; followed by the Baw-Baw Extreme from October 31st. WICEN Victoria's website is: http://vic.wicen.org.au

Submitted by Julian Sortland VK2YJS, on behalf of the WICEN State Management Committee.